Jammu, May 9 -- In a groundbreaking decision, Belgium has become the first country in the world to pass a labor law providing formal job protections and benefits to sex workers. The new legislation, approved last week by the Belgian Parliament with overwhelming support, will grant sex workers rights similar to other professions, including access to health insurance, pensions, paid vacations and critical supports like maternity leave.

Under current job protections, sex workers operating legally in Belgium were considered self-employed contractors without employee benefits or workplace safeguards. The new law aims to rectify this by establishing an official employment relationship between sex workers and organizations facilitating their wo...